Means for eliminating friction between the laminations of leaf springs



'ug. 2 8, 1923.. Y

B. lc. MANBY 'MEANS FOB ELIM'NATIJNG `FRICTIQN BETWEEN THE LAMINATIONS 0F LEAF SPRINGS 1922 -5 sheets-Sheet 2 FiLec4 July 11 1w, 1. 1111111111111111111111. i @j g '/111111111/111111111111/11. 1

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ATTORNEYS Aug. 28, i923.

Y B. c. MANBY MENS FOR ELIMINATING FRICTON BETWEEN THE LAMINATIONS OF LEAF SPRING-Sp' Filed July 11,: 1922 A -sheets-sneet 55 INVENTOR wsms'salsfs' ci 1W? A'roRNEYs .meat ag. a, 12a.

1,465,991 Flou.

PATENT T ('JHVARIJILS EDWARD MAINE?,

OF CARNEGIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

MAIN' S FOB. ELIMINATING FRICTION BETWEEN THE LAMINATION S 0F LEAF SPRINGS.

Application 'Bled July 11,

To allv whom t may concern;

Be it known that I, BERTRAM CHARLES MANBY, a resident of Brisbane,. State of Queensland, Commonwealth of Australia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Means for Eliminating Friction Between the Laminations of Leaf Springs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to springs, particularly to leaf springs built up of a series of superposed laminations, Iand specifically.

dealswith an anti-friction s acing device which is adapted to be disposed between the several lammations adjacent the spring points.

The object of the invention is to provide a spring of the character referred to in .which the friction between the laminations thereof will be reducedto a minimum, one in which a greater effective resiliency'is obtained, and one in which the power of the spring to absorb shocks is enhanced.

. It is a special object of the invention to provide a spring which is particularly adapted lfor use `on motor vehicles, and serves to secure better traction in the driving wheels, hence prolonging the .life of the tires used thereon.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide an antilfriction spacing member which may be readily applied to springs already in use, or which forms a part ofthe spring as initially constructed and it is also an object `to provide an antiriction spacer which is economical to manufacture and eiiicient in operation.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig.v 1 is a transverse sectional view of one form of anti-friction spacing device embodying the invention, said section being takenA on. line I-I ofFig. 2; Fig. 2 a plan view with parts broken away, of the'device illustrated in Fig. l; Fig. 3 a transverse sectional view similar to Fig. 1 of a modified `form of the invention, taken on line III-'III of Fig. 4; Fig. 4 a plan view, with parts broken away,

` of the form illustrated in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 a

pla-n view of an assembled spring showing the anti-friction spacers associated therewith; Fig. 6 a side elevation of a spring with the associated anti-friction spacers in which the laminations of the spring are also spaced apart at the spring center; and Fig. 7 a `fragmentary detailed elevational view illustrating one of the spacers and its relatlon with respect t0 the adjacent laminations between which it is located.

The spacing disc illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 consists of two similar superposed contacting sections l and 2, the said sectionsbeing identical in construction, the one being merely inverted with respect to the other. Each of thesesections has'a body portion 3, one side of which is plane or straight as ilidicated at 4, while the opposite Aside is provided with-a series of spaced ins or lugs 5. The body portion 3 is provided with :fplurrality of longitudinal slots or recessesv 6.

These recesses are somewhat elongated with rounded extremities, the metal of thev body surrounding the same being struck up in the form .of ribs 7. The form of these ribs is best illustrated in Fig. 1. The slots or re cesses 6 in the sections 1 and 2 are so disposed as to be 'in alignment when the sections are in properly assembled relation,'and the ribs 7 cooperate to embrace the antifriction member, preferably in the form of a spherical ball 8, the diameter of which is sufficient to permit the upper and lower portionsof the ball to project slightly beyond the ribs 7. l

The sections 1 and 2 are placed facing each other with the ball 8-within the slots 6 and embraced by the ribs "7, the sections being held in assembled relation'by any desirable means for such purpose.

' Contacting the outer faces of the sections and superposed thereon are lthe water and dust excluding sheets 9 and 9. These sheets "are made of any suitable material such as oiled felt, and are provided with o enings or recesses which are adapted to recelve and embrace the ribs 7 of the spacing. disk.

In the form illustrated in Fig. 3, the spacimg disk proper, indicated at 10, is formed of Y a single sectionA having a body portion 12 provided with fins or lugs 13 at either side,

ings, special strips 16 bent to form are in-- serted at the Aopposite sides of the recesses and embrace'the anti-friction ball-15 in the manner indicated in Fig. 3. In4 this form also, sheets 17 of water and dust excluding material are disposed upon. the opposite as clearly indicatedin Fig. 4. The body mounted upon faces of the disk .10, being located in align4 ment' with the openings in the disk.

An anti-friction spacing device such as that described above isdisposed between the opposite faces of adjacent laminations of theA spring at the spring points, and the lugs 5 or 13, as the case may be, are bent upwardly so as to embrace the sides of the laminations 4to prevent lateral displacement of the parts.

the rebound action of the spring. In order -to overcome this objection, spacing blocks 26 are disposed between the laminae of thel spring at the spring center, the laminae and' blocks 26 being held in assembled relation in any desired manner as by the rectangular sleeve 27 and bolt 28.

Since the diameter of the anti-friction ball 8 is slightly greater than the thickness of the-spacer-disk proper, the opposite faces of adjacent laminations are in constant contact therewith, and whenever relative move lment between the laminations occurs, the

anti-f1'iction-ball will permit the same to takevplace with the minimum friction, and

duc to the employment ofthe water and dust excluding sheets the anti-friction balls and the parts adjacent thereto are at all times thoroughly protected from the ingress offoreign matter interfering or hindering the operation thereof.

'A spring constructed according to the invention will not only possess an increased resiliency due `to the ease with which the laminations move relatively to each other, but will be more quickly responsive. The latter characteristic is found to be of great practical importance when the springs are used in connection with motor vehicles, resulting in an increased traction due to the driving-wheels hugging the road more consta-ntly, thus not only securing better trac- 'by means of the nuts 25 points which tends to increase aeeaeai tion, but prolonging the life of the tires, it being well known that the splnningA of the driving-wheels upon leaving the road will result in undue wear upon the tires when the same again contact therewith. v

It is thus seen that the invention provides an anti-friction device which may be readily applied to laminated leaf springs` already in use or may be initially assembled with the spring parts, a, device which is simple in constructon, easy to use and economical to manufacture, but highly efficient in operation.

I claim: c

l. A laminated spring comprising a plurality of leaves, a spacing disk between the leaves at the spring-points, having a longitudinal guiding slot through its-body portion and ribs at the sides of the slot for retaining an anti-friction ball, an anti-friction ball within the slot for contacting the faces of adjacent leaves, and water and dust eX- cludng means interposed between the spacing disks and said leaves.

2. ln combination in a laminated spring having a plurality of lsuperposed leaves, spacers for separating the leaves at the ,spring center, an anti-friction spacing device beiiveen'adjacent leaves at the springpoints comprising a. disk having a longitudinal guiding slot through its `body portion, marginal ribs at the sides of the slot for embracing the anti-friction ball, water and dust excluding strips provided with recesses aligned with those in the said disk and of sufficient siz`e to receive the said ribs, an'.

anti-friction ball within the guiding slot adapted Ito contact the faces of adjacent leaves, means for binding the leaves together at the spring center', and a clip for retaining the parts in operative assembled relation at.

the spring-points.

3. A spacer for laminated leaf springs comprising a disk having lateral fins or lugs and provided with an opening through its body, an anti-friction 'ball within the opening-projecting slightly beyond'the faces of the disk` and a sheet. of water and dustproof material superposed up n the said disk, the said sheet having per orations in alignment with the opening in the disk.

In testimony whereof l have hereunto set my hand. v

BERTRAM CHARLES MANBY. Witnesses A. CUDDnroRD, Jur R.v MANBY. 

